Publication
Title
Rethinking neck-related arm pain : hypothetical clinical scenarios to differentiate the underlying IASP-defined pain mechanisms
Author
Abstract
Neck-related arm pain is frequently encountered in clinical settings, yet its underlying pain mechanisms remain elusive. While such pain radiating from the neck to the arm is often attributed to injuries or diseases of the nervous system (neuropathic pain), it can also arise from nociceptive (referred) or nociplastic sources. Regrettably, patients exhibiting this specific pain distribution are frequently diagnosed with varying terms, including 'cervicobrachialgia', 'cervicobrachial neuralgia', 'cervicobrachial pain syndrome', and 'cervical radiculopathy'. The ambiguity surrounding these diagnostic labels complicates the clinical reasoning process. It is imperative for clinicians to discern and comprehend the dominant pain mechanism. Three distinct hypothetical clinical scenarios depict patients with almost identical pain distribution but divergent dominant pain mechanisms. Within these scenarios, both subjective and objective examinations are employed to elucidate the dominant pain mechanism associated with neck-related arm pain: nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic. Furthermore, clinicians must remain aware that the dominant pain mechanism can evolve over time.
Language
English
Source (journal)
The journal of manual and manipulative therapy. - Forest Grove, Or., 1993, currens
Publication
Abingdon : Routledge journals, taylor & francis ltd , 2023
ISSN
1066-9817 [print]
2042-6186 [online]
DOI
10.1080/10669817.2023.2292909
Volume/pages
(2023) , p. 1-12
ISI
001123891900001
Pubmed ID
38087995
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 09.01.2024
Last edited 19.01.2024
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